The need to improve efficiency in diagnostic testing by reducing time and expense has increased the use of rapid point-of-care testing. This pre-conference symposium will review the technologies and trends for point-of-care diagnostics, and highlight the suitability for applications in drug development and healthcare. The symposium will cover business opportunities for both the diagnostic provider and the biotech or pharmaceutical company. The implementation questions around companion diagnostics and why point-of-care testing is an advantageous tool that will make a difference will be addressed.

RECOMMENDED SHORT COURSES*:

Roadmap for Accelerating Commercialization of Molecular Diagnostics

CTCs from Bench to Bed: Streamlining from Research to Clinical Practice

*Separate registration required.

Sunday, February 19

7:30 am Registration and Morning Coffee

8:25 Chairperson's Opening Remarks

INTRODUCTORY SESSION

8:30 Business Models for Pharma in Point-of-Care and Molecular Diagnostics

Keith F. Batchelder, M.D., CEO, Genomic Healthcare Strategies

Peter S. Miller, COO, Genomic Healthcare Strategies

For decades, pharma business models have been reasonably static. The industry has done well; the blockbuster model has paid off, and hard times have been dealt with through consolidation, new research models/outsourcing research, and layoffs. This session will discuss the new problems and opportunities facing pharma caused by molecular medicine and the increased information required by doctors, payors, labs, patients, and institutions.

10:00 Networking Coffee Break with Poster Viewing

10:30 Business Models for Pharma in Point-of-Care and Molecular Diagnostics (Continued)

Research institutions are a fertile source of new ideas and new intellectual property for point-of-care diagnostics, both platforms and tests. This presentation will discuss how to access these resources and how to overcome the barriers to commercialization.

INNOVATIVE POINT-OF-CARE DEVICES

3:30 Smart Phone Optical Diagnostics

J. Matt Dubach, Bioengineering, Northeastern University

Novel fluorescent sensors provide an optical signal that corresponds to analyte target. A smart phone can be easily adapted to make fluorescent measurements and provide in vivo or in vitro concentrations measurements of targeted molecules.

Nanotechnology-enabled electronic assay platforms can be well-suited for point-of-care test (POCT) application. The test system is miniaturized and can be made simple to use for early disease detection testing, post therapy monitoring, and genetic and proteomic profiling of clinical samples.

4:00 Sample to Answer System for Point-of-Care Molecular Diagnostics

Michael J. Heller, Ph.D., Professor, Bioengineering and Nanoengineering, University of California, San Diego

A unique dielectrophoretic device has been developed for the isolation of cancer biomarkers (cfc-DNA), bacteria and virus from blood and other samples. Direct detection can be carried out on the device providing "seamless" sample to answer point of care diagnostics.

This presentation demonstrates a novel method of using pocket-sized personal glucose meters (PGMs) to detect many targets beyond glucose, ranging from recreational drugs such as cocaine to important biological cofactors, and from disease markers such as interferon-gamma of tuberculosis to toxic metal ions.